Blackadders is one of the leading legal firms in Scotland, providing an expanding range of expertise in the legal, financial and property services sectors. Recent growth has enabled Blackadders to enhance its services, but this growth has in turn provided new challenges for the HR department.

With Blackadders’ size and success came the increasing need to manage absences clearly and efficiently. Before using TeamSeer, absence procedures had been separated between holiday planning carried out by the local Administration Managers, and sickness, tracked by HR at Head Office. Managers were also using a variety of methods, including spreadsheets and manual documentation, to administer absence.

These complications made absence management and recording difficult. Managers lacked a comprehensive picture of staffing levels, often leaving them vulnerable to unpredictable fluctuations. As a leading employment law specialist, Blackadders recognised the importance of operating best practice within their operations; consequently, a clear and centralised system to consolidate their absence management was essential.

After evaluation of a range of absence management solutions, and using their expertise, Blackadders implemented TeamSeer, an online team and absence management system. TeamSeer has removed the need for any previous systems and now provides Blackadders with a centralised ‘at a glance’ interface for planning and tracking absences. On top of this TeamSeer instantly delivers a range of management information reports and even updates team member’s Outlook calendars. An additional advantage of TeamSeer to Blackadders is its online platform, as Graham Thoms, IT Director explains: “The fact that TeamSeer needs no installation and leaves no IT footprint is a real bonus for time and peace of mind.”

In all, TeamSeer’s reliability has given Blackadders much greater efficiency and confidence in their team tracking, enabling managers and staff to capitalise on the firm’s success. As Marion Miller, Blackadders’ HR Manager reflects: “TeamSeer has made a significant impact on the general day-to-day management of our staffing levels. Not only can our management team make informed decisions when it comes to authorising holidays, but staff can be proactive in ensuring there is always appropriate cover within their own teams. As employment legal specialists, with TeamSeer, we can now truly practice what we preach.”